Nigeria: Seven killed as female suicide bombers strike at Kano market

At least seven people died when two female suicide bombers attacked a vehicle loading area at Kantin Kwari textile market in the city of KanoReuters

At least seven people have been killed and another 30 injured in a blast that occurred in Kantin Kwari textile market in the city of Kano, Nigeria's Kano state, according to reports.

It is believed that two women carried out a suicide attack, hitting a vehicle loading area.

Who are Boko Haram militants?

Boko Haram, which fights against Western influence in Nigeria and aims to impose its version of sharia law in the country, declared an Islamic caliphate in Gwoza, along the Cameroon border, in August 2014.

The group has been raiding several cities in the north of the country in a bid to take control of more land.

Violence linked to Boko Haram's insurgency has resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths between 2002 and 2013.

Three states, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have been under a state of emergency since May 2013, due to Boko Haram's deadly attacks.

It is not yet clear who was behind the blast, but responsibility is likely to fall on terror group Boko Haram.

Bodies of the dead are being evacuated by the police who have cordoned off the market, while injured people are being taken to the Mohammed General Hospital, local reports said.

Trader Nura Sadiq told AFP news agency: "I heard a huge sound coming from the back of my shop along Unity Road. I just closed the shop and tried to leave because it's not safe."

In a conflicting report about the death toll, Reuters stated that four people were killed in the assault and seven injured.